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Iconic America

A Catalyst for Reflection on Our Past Transgressions

Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith reflects on Lady Liberty's potential as an agent of change.

Aired 07/11/2023

Iconic America

A Catalyst for Reflection on Our Past Transgressions

Clip: Episode 5 | 1m 6sVideo has Closed Captions

Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith reflects on Lady Liberty's potential as an agent of change.

"A monument isn't a policy, but it's an object for which our vocabulary, and our feelings, our hopes and even our anxieties can be projected." United States Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith reflects on the Statue of Liberty's potential as an agent of change. Smith wrote “Harbor” to celebrate the 2019 opening of the Statue of Liberty Museum on Liberty Island in New York City.

Aired 07/11/2023

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Iconic America: Our Symbols and Stories with David Rubenstein is a production of Show of Force, DMR Productions, and WETA Washington, D.C. David M. Rubenstein is the host and executive...

The French Connection

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Clip: Ep5 | 3m 56s | America's greatest symbol has its roots in a small town in France, 300 miles from Paris. (3m 56s)

How the Statue of Liberty's Anti-Slavery Origins Evolved

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Clip: Ep5 | 3m 41s | A look at how Lady Liberty's anti-slavery origins and design changed over time. (3m 41s)

A Poem for All Americans, About Immigration

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Clip: Ep5 | 55s | A look at how the poem, "The New Colossus" came to be engraved on the Statue of Liberty. (55s)

The Statue of Liberty Preview

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Preview: Ep5 | 31s | It's hard to argue that there's a more iconic symbol of America than the Statue of Liberty (31s)

A Symbol of America

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Clip: Ep5 | 47s | David Rubenstein asks Professor Ed Berenson why Lady Liberty is a symbol of America. (47s)

"Their Immigration Story Becomes the Story of Their Life"

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Clip: Ep5 | 2m 45s | David Rubenstein visits Ellis Island with Atlantic writer Caitlin Dickerson. (2m 45s)

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Iconic America: Our Symbols and Stories with David Rubenstein is a production of Show of Force, DMR Productions, and WETA Washington, D.C. David M. Rubenstein is the host and executive...

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